Releasable metal scaffolding connector



July 29, 1969 T. c. .JUCULANO RELEASABLE METAL SCAFFOLDING CONNECTORFiled July 3, 1967 3&1.

I2 WI 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 m hwy/w) I harZes Juculaz'za y 9, 1969 T. c.JUCULANO 3,458,222

RELEASABLE METAL SCAFFOLDING CONNECTOR Filed July 5, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet2 dmJ/vmv md T Charles JucuYano gym July 29, 1969 T. c. JUCULANO3,458,222

RELEASABLE METAL SCAFF'OLDING CONNECTOR Filed July 3, 1967 5Sheets-Sheet 5 smJm-ngp 3 I gharles Juculaz'zu U.S. Cl. 28753.5

United States Patent 3,458,222 RELEASABLE METAL SCAFFOLDING CONNECTORTheodore Charles Juculano, Oshkosh, Wis., assignor, by mesneassignments, to Marvel Equipment Corporation, Oshkosh, Wis., acorporation of Delaware Filed July 3, 1967, Ser. No. 650,944 Int. Cl.1304c 1/00 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The notched bottom portionof a clamping jaw normally straddles the lower one of a pair of studsprojecting from the side of an upright scaffold member to preventrotation of the jaw about the upper stud to an in operative positionexcept when the jaw is lifted to free it from the lower stud. Tighteningof a nut on the upper stud rocks the jaw about a fulcrum at its top andforces its bottom portion clampingly against the end of a brace impaledon the lower stud to hold the brace captive thereon.

This invention relates to readily erectable and dismountable metalscaffolding of the type disclosed in my Patent No. 2,962,310, issuedNov. 29, 1960.

The invention concerns the securement of the apertured ends of thediagonal braces of metal scaffolding to its uprights, by impaling themon the lower one of a pair of vertically spaced studs projecting fromthe side of the upright and holding them on this stud by a clamping jawmounted on the studs and clamped against the apertured end of the braceor braces by a wing nut threaded on the upper stud. The invention ischaracterized by the fact that the jaw has a lengthwise extending slottherein medially of its ends, in which the upper threaded stud isloosely received, and a notch which opens to a lower edge portion of thejaw and has spaced apart edges substantially parallel to thelongitudinally extending edges of the jaw to embracingly engage thelower stud and preclude edgewise pivotal motion of the jaw about theupper stud except upon upward translatory motion of the jaw relative tothe upright an extent suflicient to disengage the lower stud frombetween said edges of the notch; and a foot portion extending inwardlyfrom the jaw above the upper end of its slot for engagement of its outeredge with the side of the upright, to provide a fulcrum about which thejaw can be moved flatwise towards the upright by tightening of the nuton the threaded upper stud, to clamp the apertured end of the brace orbraces against the side of the upright. The outer edge of the footportion is concave to embrace the upright and preclude edgewise pivotalmotion of the jaw about the upper threaded stud, except upon looseningof the clamping unit sufficiently to permit substantial flatwise motionof the jaw away from the upright. The jaw is further characterized bythe coaction which obtains between the concavity of the outer edge ofsaid portion of the jaw and the parallel relationship between saidspaced edges of the notch and the longitudinally extending edges of thejaw in providing good assurance against accidental displacement of thejaw from its operative position holding the apertured end of the braceor braces assembled with the upright.

Scaffolding of the type to which this invention pertains, as is wellknown, is comprised of rigid rectangular frame sections or panels eachconsisting of a pair of tubular uprights or posts joined together inspaced parallel relationship by transverse cross bars. Diagonal bracesare detachably connected at their ends to the uprights or posts ofadjacent panels to hold the panels in uniformly spaced relation and inalignment with one another. The

3,458,222 Patented July 29, 1969 braces are also tubular, and their endsare customarily flattened and apertured to facilitate their connectionto studs fixed on the uprights or posts.

Various types of connectors have been used in the past to anchor theends of the braces to the uprights. The most common-and perhaps theoriginal form of connectionconsists simply of a threaded stud projectingfrom the upright and a wing-nut removably threaded onto the stud toclamp the apertured end portion of the brace or pair of braces againstthe side of the upright. While this manner of connecting the braces tothe uprights has the advantage of simplicity and the capability oftightly clamping one or two braces to an upright, the need for removingthe wing-nut to permit a brace to be impaled upon the stud was a neverending source of irritation. Time and again the nut would be dropped andoften lost and not replaced.

The objections to the removable wing-nut type of connector led to thedevelopment of connectors which used no clamping nut, but instead had abifurcated member slidably mounted on the upright for movement axiallyof the upright to and from a position straddling the stud outwardly ofthe apertured end portions of the braces impaled upon the stud. Examplesof this siliding type of connector will be found in the patents to PimmNo. 2,823,959, and Tardif No. 3,027,181; but the most practicable ofthis type undoubtedly is the connector which forms the subject matter ofPatent No. 3,344,655.

However, despite the advantages of the connector of my aforesaidapplication, experience showed that still further improvement wasneeded, and to achieve that improvement is the purpose and object ofthis invention.

More specifically, this invention has as its purpose to provide animproved connector for quickly and easily securing the diagonal bracesof metal scaffolding to the uprights thereof, wherein the simplicity andquickness of effecting the connection that characterizes the slidablymounted bifurcated retainer type connector of the aforesaid Patent No.3,344,655 is combined with the rigidity that can only be assured throughthe provision of a clamping nut by which the braces can be tightlyclamped to the upright, whether only one or two braces are impaled uponthe stud.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction,combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafterdescribed and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it beingunderstood that such changes in the precise embodiments of thehereindisclosed invention may be made as come Within the scope of theclaim.

The accompanying drawings illustrate three complete examples of thephysical embodiment of the invention, constructed according to the bestmodes so far devised for the practical application of the principlesthereof, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a connector, illustrating oneembodiment of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the connector shown in FIGURE 1, with partsbroken away and in section;

FIGURE 3 is a front view of the connector;

FIGURE 4 is a front view similar to FIGURE 3, but showing a slightlymodified embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view similar to FIGURE 1, illustrating anotherembodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the connector shown in FIGURE 5,illustrating the manner in which a brace may be applied or removed inthis form of the invention;

FIGURES 7 and 8 are cross sectional views through 3 the connector shownin FIGURE 5, respectively illustrating two braces and a single braceclamped in position;

FIGURE 9 is a side view with parts broken away and in section, of theconnector shown in FIGURE 5, illustrating the same in its operativecondition; and

FIGURE 10 is a view similar to FIGURE 8, but showing the connector inthe act of being disengaged.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 5 designates one of the uprightsof a conventional metal scaffolding panel or frame, as shown forinstance in my Patent No. 2,962,310. In the erection of metalscaffolding, these frames or panels are connected by diagonal braces 6detachably secured to the upper and lower end portions of the uprights.In each instance, a stud 7 projects from the side of the tubular uprightto have the apertured ends 8 of one or two braces impaled thereon. Theendmost frames or panels of a group thereof have only one brace impaledon each of its studs, whereas the studs of all intermediate frames orpanels have two braces impaled thereon. As shown in FIGURE 3, the bracesextend diagonally upwardly or downwardly from the studs, depending uponwhether the connection is to the top or bottom of the frame or panel; inthe case of the top connections the angle is downward and from thebottom studs the angle is upward.

In each case-top or bottomthe apertured ends 8 of the braces are held inposition impaled upon a stud 7 by a clamp 9. Not only does the clamp 9hold the brace against accidental displacement from the stud, but italso tightly clamps the brace-or braces, if two are impaled upon thestudagainst the upright. The desired rigidity for the erected scaffoldis thus assured.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURES 13, theclamp 9 consists of an elongated stiff jaw 10 with a lateral projectionor foot 11 at one end thereof. The edge 12 of this projection or foot isconcavely curved to fit the curved side of the round tubular upright inthe operative position of the jaw.

The opposite end of the jaw 10 which is lowermost in the operativecondition of the clamp is bifurcated to provide a notch 13 which has itsentrance or mouth opening to the bottom edge of the jaw to receive andembrace the stud 7; and between its ends the jaw has an elongated slot14 through which a second stud 15 projects. This second stud, which isalso fixed to the side of the tubular upright above the stud 7 and inline therewith, is threaded and has a wing-nut 16 thereon to bearagainst the jaw and force it towards the upright when tightened. Afterthe wing-nut is applied to the threaded stud 15 the outer end of thestud is upset as at 15 to prevent removal of the wing-nut.

As especially shown in FIGURE 2, in the operative condition of theconnector, with the bifurcated lower end portion of the jaw 10straddling the stud 7 and bearing against the outermost face of theapertured end portion of the brace or braces impaled upon the stud,tightening of the wing-nut 16 rocks the jaw about the fulcrum providedby the engagement of its projection or foot 11 with the side of theupright, and forces the brace or braces impaled upon the stud tightlyagainst the side of the upright.

Although, in essence, the jaw 10 clamps the apertured ends of the braceor braces under its bifurcated lower end portion against the side of theupright, the innermost brace actually engages the outer fiat surface ofa boss 17 at the base of the stud 7. This holds the braces spaced atshort distance from the side of the scaffolding and; as shown in FIGURE2, the height of the projection or foot 11 is such that when two bracesare impaled upon the stud 7, which is most often the case, the jaw issubstantially parallel with the adjacent side of the tubular upright.When the connection involves only one brace, the jaw is not quiteparallel with the upright, but the angle is too small to beobjectionable.

The relationship between the spacing of the studs 7 and 15, the lengthof the slot 14 and the distance between the lowermost end of the slot 14and the bottom extremity of the bifurcated end of the jaw is important.With these dimensions properly correlated, detachment of a brace orbraces from the upright merely requires loosening the wing-nut andsliding the jaw 10 upwardly along the upright far enough to disengageits bifurcated lower end from the stud 7, or in other words to effectdisengagement of the stud from the notch 13, whereupon the jaw may berotated about the stud 15 to an angular position entirely clear of theunderlying brace or braces, whether they extend downwardly or upwardlyfrom the stud 7.

Attachment of a brace or braces to an upright is accomplished with equalfacility. To effect the attachment, the jaw is held with one hand in itselevated rotated position, and with the other hand the apertured end ofthe brace is impaled upon the stud 7. Then by simply swinging the jaw toits vertical position and allowing it to drop, the connection iscomplete save for tightening the wing-nut.

As shown in FIGURE 4, an increase in the distance between the studs 7and 15 and an increase in the length of the jaw, obviates the need forrotating the jaw about the stud 15 to enable placement or removal of thebraces. Instead, it is only necessary to loosen the wing-nutsufficiently to permit the jaw to be slid upwardly along the upright,during which movement the jaw is retained in its vertical orientation byvirtue of the concavely curved edge 12 of the projection or foot 11embracing the correspondingly curved side of the upright.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG- URES 5 to 10,inclusive, the notch-here identified by the numeral 20has its entrance21 opening to one side edge of the jaw at a location spaced downwardlyfrom the notch. The mouth of the entrance is considerably wider than thediameter of the stud 7 and extends from the extremity 22 of the adjacentside of the notch to a point close to the lower end of the jaw.Attention is directed to the fact that the lower edge 23 of the entranceto the notch slants upwardly to in effect form a cam surface whichguides the jaw to its operative position with the stud received in thenotch.

Another feature of this form of the invention resides in the dimensionalrelationship between the spacing of the two studs and the distancebetween the mouth of the entrance to the notch and the bottom of theslot 14. This relationship is such that when the bottom of the slotengages the upper threaded stud the mouth of the entrance 21 isautomatically disposed to receive the lower stud 7.

It should also be noted that the portion 24 of the jaw which defines theside of the notch 20 nearest its entrance, is in effect a hook thatengages over the stud 7 as the jaw swings towards and drops into itsoperative brace retaining position. Because of this, the jaw must belifted before it can be swung to a position clear of the underlyingapertured ends of the braces impaled upon the stud 7, and of coursebefore the jaw can be lifted, the wing-nut must be loosened.

From the foregoing description taken with the accompanying drawings, itwill be apparent that this invention provides a substantially improvedconnector for detachably securing the diagonal braces of metalscaffolding to the uprights thereof.

What is claimed as my invention is:

1. A connector for detachably securing an apertured end of a brace or aplurality of braces to an upright of a metal scaffolding frame with thebrace or braces extending diagonally either upwardly or downwardly fromthe point of securement,

wherein the upright is round in cross section and has a pair ofvertically spaced upper and lower studs fixed thereto and projectingfrom the same side thereof,

the upper stud being threaded and the lower stud having the aperturedend of the brace or braces impaled thereon,

wherein the apertured end of the brace or braces is (3) a foot portionextending inwardly from the jaw held against displacement from the lowerstud by an elongated substantially flat jaw mounted on said studs andclamped against the apertured end of the brace or braces by a nutthreaded on the upper stud,

only slight loosening of the clamping nut, far enough to enable theapertured end of an upwardly extending brace to be impaled upon orremoved from the lower stud, and

above the upper end of its slot for engagement of its outer edge withthe side of the upright, to provide a fulcrum about which the jaw can bemoved flatwise towards the upright by tightening of the nut on the CARLW. TOMLIN, Primary Examiner 25 WAYNE L. SHE/DD, Assistant Examiner theconnector being characterized in that the jaw has 5 h d d upper stud, toclamp the apertured end of a lengthwise extending Slot therein mediallyf the brace or braces against the side of the upright,

ends, in Which the PP threaded Stud is loosely the outer edge of saidfoot portion being concave received, and to embrace the upright andrestrain the jaw a notch Which Opens Straight down to the bottom againstedgewise rotation about the threaded edge of the l and has Spaced 'Pedges 10 upper stud as the jaw is raised, to thereby keep StafltiallyParallel the longitudinally extending the entrance to the notch alignedwith the lower edges of the jaw, to embracingly engage the lower StucLstud and preclude edgewise pivotal motion of the References Cited jawabout the upper stud,

so that disengagement of the jaw from the lower UNITED STATES PATENTSstud entails raising the jaw from its operative 2,716,576 8/ 1955Nordohe 287-535 position to which it is propelled by gravity, the2,636,086 8/1954 French 287'53'5 distance between the studs and also thelength of FOREIGN PATENTS the slot in the jaw being suflicient to permitthe 675 850 8/1961 Canada aw to be raised wlth a translatory motion,upon 73 ,7 8 6/1955 Great Britain.

